ThePowers That Beusually were.
Venom’s alarm went off. Cursing, he quickly reported his name and rank.
Sav waited for him to finish. “We better disperse. I only wanted us here to let you know what you were facing and to be aware that we’re not after you.”
“But everyone else will be.” Vanquish didn’t blink as he callously reminded him.
Sav nodded. “We’ll use the burner to let you know whenever we catch wind of someone targeting you.”
Jinx inclined his head and waited for them to disperse. More tired than he’d ever been, he sighed. He needed to head back to barracks, but with everyone after him, closing his eyes there was a bad idea.
If he lived another week, it would be a miracle.
Pulling his link out, he scanned to a photo of his sister when they were kids. An old photo that had been on file for his family.
His heart aching, he traced her face with his finger. If he was dead, who would protect her?
Jinx was the only one left who cared.
Fear and pain choked him. He hated feeling powerless. All he’d ever wanted was to keep Dakari safe.
Was this how Eve had felt about her own sister?
Unable to bear it, he swiped to the picture he’d taken of Eve.
I have hours to live.
There was one thing left that he wanted to do.
Opening the channel, he called Command. “Chief Agent Shadowborne. I’m after a target. Need one-hundred-and-eighty hours.”
He waited for them to clear his time.
“Approved, Chief Agent Shadowborne. Please check in within eighty-four hours or as soon as mission is accomplished.”
He cut the transmission.
Five days. That was all he had.
Would the ones after him even allow him to live long enough to do what he needed to?
Probably not.
But by the gods, he was going to try.
ChapterFour
Jayne Erixour sat in her cramped cell, regretting every decision she’d ever made.
Not that she’d ever made that many. Given that she was only seventeen, most of her decisions had been made for her. Either by her overbearing father or by a vicious fate that seemed to hate her.
A year and a half of her life had been stolen.
For what?
So that some small-time prick with a little bit of power could feel like a man. For something she hadn’t even done.
She’s the daughter of Egarious Toole! By that alone you know she’s guilty.
